David –
On short notice we decided to commit to climbing Mt Rinjani. A few Whatsapp messages later and a driver was waiting to drive us from the South East of Lombok to Seranu on the North.
We chose to complete a 2 day and 1 night group climb up the volcano crater rim with Seranu Trekking who would provide the transfers to and from, guide, porters equipment and of course meals (we’d be having a lot of those). “Unfortunately” the summit was closed after the 2018 magnitude 7 earthquake and recent severe bush fires had destroyed the approach from the west so we were happy to settle for the crater views instead.
We arrived at the trekking office and quickly had flashbacks to the Mekong tour, turns out Lauren and I were the only ones on this ‘group’ trip. Ho Hum. The organiser Jul (or as I called him Julz which he didnt seem to like) promised us the ability to pay by credit card however this was not the case. We found an ATM that would only take credit cards and only dispense $125 at a time, so we got stung with a $10 fee per transaction (and it was $200 per person to do the trek) ouch. After a little negotiation I managed to get a discount on the trek and we headed out for a late lunch at Rinjani Lodge.
The lodge was amazing! Infinity pools overlooking lush jungle mountains. The ocean to the left, to the right the 3,726m summit of Mt Rinjani hidden in the clouds. We tried to imagine how hard tomorrow’s climb would be!
We woke at 5.30 to finish packing (thats just how we roll) and although we were not hungry, we hurried to eat most of our banana pancake breakfast while our team arrived early and waited in the drive way. We jumped into the back of the ute with our guide Suryia and headed towards the start gate!
The climb from 500m above sea level to 2500m was broken down into 4 positions. From the start to position 1 the route was a steady climb through the jungle following an alternative path cut around a damaged section of the path. Small farms growing coffee and cocoa lined the steep road as the sun continued to rise. Porters continued to overtake us, most in t-shirts, shorts and a pair of thongs – some were just barefooted. Their shoulders bruised and puffy from a long season of carrying equipment for tourists – we couldnt help but feel our white privilege.
From position 1 to 2 the climb became a lot more intense. Most steps were from tree root to rock and over more roots. The path would often be a washed out stream where you would have to climb out over a fallen tree. Four hours after starting we made it to our lunch spot. A few other trekkers had made it but we were probably 3rd or 4th. Wooh!
While we waited for our lunch to be made (no sandwiches here) we quickly noticed the differences in what $ get you. On one side we saw a group of 3 serious looking hikers sitting around a camping table, cold cans of coke and very large plates of Nasi Goreng. Our lunch included fried chicken, warm cans of fanta and a snickers for dessert. Further on a group of 10 were sitting on the ground fighting off hungry monkeys as they ate a more meager lunch.
We overheard another guide explain that position 2-3 was a little harder and then 3-4 was the toughest part of the climb to our camp site. After lunch our legs felt a little heavier and perhaps our sugar rush had ended. The spring in our step wasn’t quite as springy. Clouds started to close in and the jungle took on a more ominous vibe.
The previous day’s climbers passed us on the decent and gave us enthusiastic encouragement we needed. As we acceded the scenery started to change too, parts had been destroyed by the recent fire but new life had returned. Our guide spotted the Lutung, a rare black monkey which he suggested was a good omen for the climb.
The monkeys at position 3 were a lot less friendly – we laughed as a trekker threw his biscuits away after being challenge by the alpha monkey.
From position 3 on-wards the climbing was no longer ‘fun’ and instead it was more about putting one foot in front of the other. The well trodden sandy tracks rose along the steep ridge back, either side was barren and blackened earth. The last section was a scramble up loose small rocks which worked all the other muscles you didn’t use climbing up sand.
After 8 hours we finally made it and the clouds cleared in all directions. We somehow managed to get there before our porters so we sat back admired the view of Mt Rinjani and the Salamas volcano. A truly stunning location!
Fried bananas and popcorn was prepared as we watched the best view. The sunset views of Bali’s Mt Agung and the Gili Islands in the foreground were amazing.
More Food. We weren’t even hungry for dinner but seeing the porters cooking the food they had carried all the way up for us we managed to eat most of our dinner.
Our alarms were set for 5.30 to catch sunrise over the summit. With our hoodies and puffer jackets on we basked in the warmth of the sun peaking over the ridge and illuminating the surrounding cliffs. Truly awesome.
7am Breakfast. Ok we ate but it was more banana pancakes and honestly we felt that there were more calories in than out at this point. A strong coffee made the morning business a priority.
Suryia fashioned a walking stick for Lauren and she practically ran down the steepest sections at breakneck speed (for Lauren at least). Descending was hard and our legs resisted at each step. Position 2 for lunch seemed far away and when we did finally arrive we still had no hunger for lunch!
After almost 7 hours we made it back to the little farms and our legs were exhausted. We tipped the porters what we hoped was a good amount as their smiles and attitude was awesome the whole way up and down, plus they looked like the seniors of their profession!
Lauren and I were exhausted and the ace up our sleeves was to check our selves straight into Rinjani Lodge for an night of relaxation! We dove right into the pool and looked back up at the mountain (crater) we had just conquered..
Far Away From Home 